Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Yankees at Nationals

New York Yankees (0-0) at Washington Nationals (0-0)

Thursday, July 23rd, 7:08 PM EDT

Projected starters

RHP Gerrit Cole (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Max Scherzer (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game Preview

The Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees will kick things off in the 2020 MLB season, as the reigning World Series champions will host one of the top teams in the American League heading to this year's 60-game season. Two of the most complete teams in all of baseball, this game might very well be decided by the pitching matchup as two of the most dominant aces will go head-to-head in this one. The Nationals will trust Max Scherzer for the first start of the season, while Gerrit Cole will grab the ball in what will be his debut as a Yankee. The Nationals finished last season with a 93-69 record, while the Yankees were one of two American League teams to win 100-plus games at 103-59.

Injuries:

New York Yankees

Luis Cessa - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

7/20 12:33 PM EST - Cessa (not injury related) threw a 31-pitch bullpen session Monday, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. Cessa missed the start of camp after testing positive for COVID-19, but he cleared intake protocol and reported to the team Saturday. He reportedly only experienced very mild symptoms while battling the coronavirus but was still able to run and do some throwing while recovering. With Opening Day set for Thursday, it's unclear whether he'll be ready for the start of the season, but he felt "great" following his first bullpen of camp. The right-hander tossed a career-high 81 innings over 43 appearances with the Yankees last season, posting a 4.11 ERA and 75:31 K:BB.

Aroldis Chapman - Covid-19 - Illness

7/22 2:19 PM EST - General manager Brian Cashman said Chapman (illness) is mostly symptom-free but has continued to test positive for COVID-19, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. Chapman tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the month and has been on the injured list ever since. While the lefty has only experienced mild symptoms (fortunately), he has yet to submit the two negative test results required to rejoin the Yankees and is set to miss the start of the season as a result. Chapman likely won't need much ramp-up time once he's cleared, though Zack Britton figures to temporarily fill in as the team's closer in the meantime.

Domingo German - Suspension - Suspension

7/18 4:22 PM EST - German (suspension) will not be retiring, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports. German announced in a somewhat cryptic Instagram post Friday that he was stepping away from baseball. He's since deleted that post and provided another one, in which he apologized for the "unsettling post," explaining that he let his emotions get the best of him after being forced to watch his teammates get ready for the season from afar. German will miss the entirety of the season as well as the first three games of next year while serving a domestic-violence suspension.

Rosell Herrera - Day-To-Day - Heel

7/13 2:02 PM EST - Manager Aaron Boone revealed Monday that Herrera is dealing with pain in both of his heels, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. Herrera's heel issues started up at the end of spring training, but the problem has resurfaced and has kept him off the field since Thursday. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear. The 27-year-old impressed as a non-roster invitee during spring training this year, but he isn't expected to make much of an impact in the majors in 2020.

Kyle Holder - Day-To-Day - Hip

7/19 11:55 AM EST - Holder (hip/stomach) was assigned to the Yankees' alternate training site Saturday. Holder's reassignment came on the same day that he underwent a series of tests due to discomfort in his hip and stomach area. The 26-year-old was not expected to make the Yankees' initial 30-man active roster, though a callup this year is not out of the question if he's able to overcome the injury concern.

DJ LeMahieu - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

7/20 12:04 PM EST - LeMahieu (illness) is starting at second base and leading off in Monday's exhibition game against the Mets. Although LeMahieu missed the first couple weeks of camp due to testing positive for COVID-19, he'll be included in the team's exhibition lineup for the second consecutive night. The 32-year-old has been optimistic about being ready for Opening Day, and his leadoff status in back-to-back games would suggest that's a fairly realistic possibility. Even if he isn't ready for the team's season opener, he's said that he expects to be available "pretty soon thereafter."

Dan Otero - Out - Undisclosed

7/21 3:49 PM EST - Otero was placed on the restricted list Tuesday. The reasoning behind the move is unclear, but Otero won't be available for the start of the shortened season and has no official timeline for his return. The 35-year-old joined the Yankees on a minor-league deal with offseason after posting a 4.85 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with the Indians in 2019.

Freicer Perez - Day-To-Day - Shoulder

5/9 8:39 PM EST - Perez (undisclosed) was placed on the minor-league disabled list Wednesday. Specifics regarding the injury remain unclear at this point. Perez had a 7.20 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 20:19 K:BB through six starts (25 innings) before landing on the shelf. He'll be eligible to return May 16 if he's ready.

Anthony Seigler - Day-To-Day - Kneecap

3/16 5:13 PM EST - Seigler (kneecap) is expected to start the 2020 campaign with Low-A Charleston, Dan Kelly of SB Nation reports. The Yankees drafted Seigler 23rd overall in the 2018 draft, and he was initially regarded as one of the team's top prospects. However, the backstop hit only .175 in 120 plate appearances in Low-A ball last season before a patella fracture ended his campaign after 30 games. Seigler's defensive tools make him an intriguing player to keep an eye on, and the coming season figures to be crucial in assessing his offensive potential.

Luis Severino - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/28 3:17 PM EST - Severino (elbow) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday. This was inevitable after Severino underwent Tommy John surgery in February. He has been progressing well in his rehab and is optimistic that he will be able to pitch for the Yankees at some point in 2021.

Masahiro Tanaka - 10-Day IL - Concussion

7/22 9:15 AM EST - Tanaka (concussion) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday. The move is no surprise, as it's already been announced that Tanaka will miss at least one turn in the rotation while he works his way back from the mild concussion he suffered back on July 4. He was reportedly symptom-free quite soon after the incident, but the lost practice time means he won't quite be in game shape when the season begins. Making the move retroactive to Sunday means Tanaka could be activated as soon as next Wednesday, but he'll reportedly be throwing an extended session Sunday, meaning he'd be unlikely to make his season debut before July 31.

Washington Nationals

Welington Castillo - Out - Opt Out

7/22 9:53 AM EST - The Nationals placed Castillo (opt out) on the restricted list July 4. Washington made the transaction official one day after manager Dave Martinez told the media that Castillo became the third player to sit out the 60-game season. Castillo joined the Nationals in January on a one-year deal, so he'll head to the open market at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.

Mason Denaburg - Out - Shoulder

7/7 6:32 AM EST - Denaburg (shoulder) said Tuesday that he expects to resume throwing bullpen sessions in the next three weeks, Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com reports. The 2018 first-round pick has been pleased thus far with how he's progressed since undergoing arthroscopic right shoulder surgery last October. Denaburg plans to gradually increase his long-toss distance off flat ground through the end of July, and then get back on the mound for the first time since last summer. If the 20-year-old can steer clear of any major setbacks in his throwing program during the upcoming offseason, he should head into the 2021 minor-league season at full strength.

Roenis Elias - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/22 12:12 PM EST - Elias (undisclosed) continues to throw but won't be ready for Opening Day, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Elias was unable to report to camp until Friday due to undisclosed reasons. While he's healthy enough to throw, he remains on the 10-day injured list and will evidently not be activated until after the season begins.

Steven Fuentes - Suspension - Suspension

7/16 5:20 PM EST - Fuentes was cleared to train and will be headed to Fredericksburg on Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Fuentes and Joan Adon both will head to Fredericksburg to join their teammates and begin training for the upcoming regular season. Washington added Fuentes to their 60-man player pool earlier this summer to ensure that he will finish serving his 50-game suspension when the 2021 season arrives. The 23-year-old was having a breakout 2019 campaign before testing positive for a banned stimulant, posting a 2.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 63:15 K:BB across 63.2 innings for Double-A Hagerstown.

Victor Robles - Day-To-Day - Undisclosed

7/21 12:11 PM EST - Robles (undisclosed) is in the lineup for Tuesday's exhibition game against the Orioles, batting ninth. Robles' late arrival at camp put his availability into question for Opening Day against the Yankees on Thursday, but he's been able to build up at-bats quickly since joining the team. The 23-year-old went 0-for-1 with one walk while starting in Monday's intrasquad game, and he'll get another chance to face live pitching Tuesday. It's still unclear whether the team will deem him ready for the season opener, but it's unlikely that he'd miss much time if he isn't available Thursday.

Joe Ross - Out - Opt Out

6/29 12:16 PM EST - Ross is expected to opt out of joining the Nationals for the 2020 season, sources tell Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. Ross is the second known player who is expected to forgo playing in 2020 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic after Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake announced his intentions earlier Monday. As a result, Ross will forgo his $1.5 million salary for 2020 before heading into his final year of salary arbitration in 2021. Ross had been a leading candidate for the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation, but his decision to sit out the season could lead to more starting opportunities for Austin Voth and Erick Fedde.

Adrian Sanchez - 7-Day IL - Achilles

6/29 9:40 AM EST - Updating a previous report, the Nationals relayed Monday that Sanchez (Achilles) was placed on the minor-league injured list and isn't included as part of the big club's 60-man player pool, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. The Nationals had previously announced Sunday that Sanchez had been placed on the 60-day injured list after tearing his right Achilles' tendon in a workout a few weeks ago. However, because he was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in late March before he suffered the injury, he'll revert to the minor-league IL rather than the MLB team's IL. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the transaction means he won't be eligible for major-league payment and service time while he recovers from surgery that will keep him sidelined throughout the 2020 season, and likely, a decent chunk of the 2021 campaign. The move still leaves one spot open on the 40-man roster for the Nationals, though the team won't be extended an extra spot in the 60-man player pool to replace Sanchez.

Wander Suero - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/22 9:45 AM EST - Suero (undisclosed) completed a simulated game Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Even though Suero remains on the 10-day injured list, his presence at summer camp and ability to face hitters suggests he's reasonably healthy and won't miss much time beyond Opening Day. The right-hander reliever made 78 appearances for Washington in 2019, posting a 4.54 ERA, 81:26 K:BB and 19 holds over 71.1 innings.

Ryan Zimmerman - Out - Opt Out

6/29 12:31 PM EST - Zimmerman informed the Nationals on Monday that he has opted out of playing in the 2020 season, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports. Zimmerman's decision comes less than a week after he outlined his concerns about how playing during the COVID-19 pandemic could compromise the immune systems of his wife and newborn baby in an essay posted by the Associated Press. Along with Zimmerman, teammate Joe Ross has also elected not to play in 2020, leaving the Nationals with less depth at first base and in the rotation, respectively. With Zimmerman out of the mix, the Nationals could lean more heavily on Howie Kendrick as the primary platoon mate at first base with the left-handed-hitting Eric Thames. Zimmerman will forgo his $6.25 million salary in 2020 and hit free agency in the offseason, but it's unclear if the soon-to-be 37-year-old will have interest in resuming his career in 2021.

New York Yankees Expected Lineup:

SP – Gerrit Cole

1. DJ LeMahieu

2. Aaron Judge

3. Brett Gardner

4. Giancarlo Stanton

5. Gleyber Torres

6. Gary Sanchez

7. Aaron Hicks

8. Luke Volt

9. Gio Urshela

Washington Nationals Expected Lineup:

SP – Max Scherzer

1. Trea Turner

2. Adam Eaton

3. Starlin Castro

4. Juan Soto

5. Howie Kendrick

6. Eric Thames

7. Yan Gomes

8. Carter Kieboom

9. Victor Robles

RotoWire.com Projections:

Juan Soto, WAS - OF

• Credits: 14
• Proj. D11 Pts: 11.92

Giancarlo Stanton, NYY - OF

• Credits: 14
• Proj. D11 Pts: 8.88

Howie Kendrick, WAS - IF

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 8.71

Trea Turner, WAS - IF

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 11.64

DJ LeMahieu, NYY - IF

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.41

Gleyber Torres, NYY - IF

• Credits: 13
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.47

Adam Eaton, WAS - OF

• Credits: 13
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.44

Brett Gardner, NYY - OF

• Credits: 12.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.52

Asdrubal Cabrera, WAS - IF

• Credits: 12.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.89

Starlin Castro, WAS - IF

• Credits: 12.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 8.07

Gary Sanchez, NYY - C

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.53

Michael Taylor, WAS - OF

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.51

Luke Voit, NYY - IF

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.27

Victor Robles, WAS - OF

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.47

Aaron Hicks, NYY - OF

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.35

Gio Urshela, NYY - IF

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 7.93

Aaron Judge, NYY - OF

• Credits: 11
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.18

Eric Thames, WAS - IF

• Credits: 11
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.08

Kurt Suzuki, WAS - C

• Credits: 11
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.03

Yan Gomes, WAS - C

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 7.50

Wilmer Difo, WAS - IF

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.35

Tyler Wade, NYY - IF

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.57

Mike Tauchman, NYY - OF

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.14

Andrew Stevenson, WAS - OF

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.53

Gerrit Cole, NYY - P

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 19.09

Clint Frazier, NYY - OF

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.12

Mike Ford, NYY - IF

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.32

Adrian Sanchez, WAS - IF

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Anibal Sanchez, WAS - P

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Max Scherzer, WAS - P

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 20.82

Miguel Andujar, NYY - IF

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.84

Patrick Corbin, WAS - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

James Paxton, NYY - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Stephen Strasburg, WAS - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Masahiro Tanaka, NYY - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Daniel Hudson, WAS - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Wander Suero, WAS - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Sean Doolittle, WAS - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

J.A. Happ, NYY - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Adam Ottavino, NYY - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Zack Britton, NYY - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jake Noll, WAS - IF

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.53

Roenis Elias, WAS - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Will Harris, WAS - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Tommy Kahnle, NYY - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Aroldis Chapman, NYY - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Erick Fedde, WAS - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Estevan Florial, NYY - OF

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Thairo Estrada, NYY - IF

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.56

Kyle Higashioka, NYY - C

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.56

Austin Voth, WAS - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jonathan Holder, NYY - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Chad Green, NYY - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Carter Kieboom, WAS - IF

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 7.28

Tanner Rainey, WAS - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Luis Cessa, NYY - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Ryne Harper, WAS - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Raudy Read, WAS - C

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.53

James Bourque, WAS - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Luis Severino, NYY - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jordan Montgomery, NYY - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Aaron Barrett, WAS - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Kyle Finnegan, WAS - P

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jonathan Loaisiga, NYY - P

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Austen Williams, WAS - P

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Tres Barrera, WAS - C

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.53

Ben Heller, NYY - P

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Kyle McGowin, WAS - P

• Credits: 6.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Miguel Yajure, NYY - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Nick Nelson, NYY - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Albert Abreu, NYY - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Michael King, NYY - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Ben Braymer, WAS - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Luis Gil, NYY - P

• Credits: 6
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Deivi Garcia, NYY - P

• Credits: 5.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Brooks Kriske, NYY - P

• Credits: 5.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Luis Medina, NYY - P

• Credits: 5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Top Picks From Each Team:

Trea Turner, Nationals: Turner hits at the top of the order and is an absolute fantasy stud, as he can rack up points in a number of ways. He finished the 2019 MLB season with a .298 average while also adding 19 homers, 57 RBI, 35 stolen bases and a .850 OPS.

Aaron Judge, Yankees: Judge crushed three home runs in his last two exhibition games, and he was on fire during the 2019 MLB season. He smacked 27 homers while adding 55 RBI and 46 total extra-base hits in just 102 games. He should be one of the main cogs in the Yankees offense this year.

Captaincy Options:

1. Aaron Judge
2. Trea Turner
3. Giancarlo Stanton
4. Juan Soto

Dream11 Team

P – Max Scherzer

C – Gary Sanchez

IF – Trea Turner (VC)

IF – Eric Thames

IF – Carter Kieboom

IF – Gleyber Torres

IF – Miguel Andujar

OF – Aaron Judge (C)

OF – Juan Soto

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.